Cardiovascular Disease Does Not Only Affect Adults. Cardiovascular Disease Can Also be Seen in Children and Adolescents.

General Information

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), also referred to as heart disease, is not a major cause of death among children and adolescents. However, it is a leading cause of death among adults. Good cardiovascular health is important in children and adolescents because this is when risk factors for CVD begin to develop. Through education, physical activity, and a well balanced diet, children have a better chance growing up and leading a healthy life without cardiovascular disease.

Types of Heart Disease

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD):Congenital heart disease is the most common heart defect that affects 8 out of every 1,000 newborns. Congenital heart disease interferes with the normal function of the heart and flow of blood through the heart. The severity of the disease ranges, but the majority of people born with CHD are able to live out a normal life.
Acquired heart disease: a type of heart disease that develops during childhood as a result of illnesses. The illness causes a change in the shape or functioning of the heart or surrounding blood vessels.
- Two most common acquired conditions: rheumatic heart disease and Kawasaki disease
  - Rheumatic heart disease develops from rheumatic fever. The fever can scar the heart valves until the point where they may not function properly.
  - Kawasaki disease develops from a high persistent fever. The fever causes inflammation of the blood vessels, which results in damage of the coronary arteries and eventually an aneurysm.

What Are the Symptoms?

Arrhythmia: Abnormal rhythm of the heart
Chest pain: Pain felt in the chest
Cyanosis: Blue or purple hue to skin caused by decreased oxygen to the blood stream
Dyspnea: Shortness of breath
Heart Murmurs: An extra sound heard when listening to the heart caused by blood being forced through a narrow valve or blood leaking back out of a leaky valve in the heart
Fatigue: Feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy; physical and/or mental exhaustion
Fainting: Feeling weak, dizzy, or exhausted; about to lose consciousness
Hypotension: Low blood pressure
Palpitations: Sensations of the heart such as fluttering or skipping a beat
Poor growth: Diseases of the kidneys, heart, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, bones, or other body systems might affect growth.

Risk Factors for CVD

Childhood obesity

*Risk factors for CVD are determined to a great extent by behaviors learned in childhood and continued into adulthood.

Childhood and adolescent Obesity is one of the most important current public health concerns.

Overweight and obese children and adolescents are likely to develop a number of precursors for CVD, such as type-2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome.
There is strong evidence that an epidemic of childhood obesity has led to a significant increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, which, if left unchecked, is likely to lead to an epidemic of premature CVD.

The burden of childhood obesity

Worldwide, one in 10 school-aged children are estimated to be overweight
Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of five is estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 35 million of these are living in developing countries.
Childhood obesity is already an epidemic in some areas and on the rise in others. For example, in the USA, the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled since 1980.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more physical activity each day. The various types of physical activity include aerobic activity, muscle strengthening and bone strengthening.

Other risk factors:

Hypertension (high blood pressure): "High" considered >140/90mmHg (Systolic over 140mmHg, and Diastolic over 90mmHg)
Tobacco use: Smoking is estimated to cause nearly 10% of all CVD. Within two years of quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease is substantially reduced and within 15 years, the risk of CVD returns to that of a non-smoker.
Raised blood glucose (diabetes): Diabetes is defined as having a fasting plasma glucose of 126 mg/dl or higher. CVD accounts for about 60% of all mortality in people with diabetes. Cardiovascular risk increases with raised glucose levels.
Physical inactivity: Insufficient physical activity can be defined as less than five times of 30 minutes of moderate activity per week, or less than three times of 20 minutes of vigorous activity per week, or equivalent. This is the fourth leading risk factor for mortality.
Unhealthy diet: High dietary intakes of saturated fat, trans-fats and salt, and low intake of fruits, vegetables, and fish are linked to cardiovascular risk.
Cholesterol: Raised blood cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and stroke and lowering high blood cholesterol reduces the risk of heart disease.
Overweight and Obesity: Obesity is strongly related to major risk factors including high blood pressure, glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia.

More information on risk factors

Plan Ahead: Prevention Methods

The most important factors to consider when attempting to prevent CVD involve eating a varied, nutrient dense diet, being regularly active, and maintaining a healthy body weight. Beginning healthy habits at an early age is key in preventing diseases from developing over time.

Basic nutrition information:

Tips on how to stay physically active:
Body composition measuring tools:
- Body Mass Index Calculator
- Daily Calorie Calculator

More general information can be found at the following sites:
- Cardiovascular Conditions of Childhood from American Heart Association
- Interventions to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Children and Adolescents from American Academy of Family Physicians

General Information

Types of Heart Disease

Acquired heart disease: a type of heart disease that develops during childhood as a result of illnesses. The illness causes a change in the shape or functioning of the heart or surrounding blood vessels.

Two most common acquired conditions: rheumatic heart disease and Kawasaki disease

Rheumatic heart disease develops from rheumatic fever. The fever can scar the heart valves until the point where they may not function properly.

Kawasaki disease develops from a high persistent fever. The fever causes inflammation of the blood vessels, which results in damage of the coronary arteries and eventually an aneurysm.

What Are the Symptoms?

Arrhythmia: Abnormal rhythm of the heart

Chest pain: Pain felt in the chest

Cyanosis: Blue or purple hue to skin caused by decreased oxygen to the blood stream

Dyspnea: Shortness of breath

Heart Murmurs: An extra sound heard when listening to the heart caused by blood being forced through a narrow valve or blood leaking back out of a leaky valve in the heart

Fatigue: Feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy; physical and/or mental exhaustion

Fainting: Feeling weak, dizzy, or exhausted; about to lose consciousness

Hypotension: Low blood pressure

Palpitations: Sensations of the heart such as fluttering or skipping a beat

Poor growth: Diseases of the kidneys, heart, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, bones, or other body systems might affect growth.

Risk Factors for CVD

Childhood obesity

*Risk factors for CVD are determined to a great extent by behaviors learned in childhood and continued into adulthood.

Childhood and adolescent Obesity is one of the most important current public health concerns.

Overweight and obese children and adolescents are likely to develop a number of precursors for CVD, such as type-2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome.

There is strong evidence that an epidemic of childhood obesity has led to a significant increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, which, if left unchecked, is likely to lead to an epidemic of premature CVD.

The burden of childhood obesity

Worldwide, one in 10 school-aged children are estimated to be overweight

Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of five is estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 35 million of these are living in developing countries.

Childhood obesity is already an epidemic in some areas and on the rise in others. For example, in the USA, the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled since 1980.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more physical activity each day. The various types of physical activity include aerobic activity, muscle strengthening and bone strengthening.

Other risk factors:

Hypertension (high blood pressure): "High" considered >140/90mmHg (Systolic over 140mmHg, and Diastolic over 90mmHg)

Tobacco use: Smoking is estimated to cause nearly 10% of all CVD. Within two years of quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease is substantially reduced and within 15 years, the risk of CVD returns to that of a non-smoker.

Raised blood glucose (diabetes): Diabetes is defined as having a fasting plasma glucose of 126 mg/dl or higher. CVD accounts for about 60% of all mortality in people with diabetes. Cardiovascular risk increases with raised glucose levels.

Physical inactivity: Insufficient physical activity can be defined as less than five times of 30 minutes of moderate activity per week, or less than three times of 20 minutes of vigorous activity per week, or equivalent. This is the fourth leading risk factor for mortality.

Unhealthy diet: High dietary intakes of saturated fat, trans-fats and salt, and low intake of fruits, vegetables, and fish are linked to cardiovascular risk.

Cholesterol: Raised blood cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and stroke and lowering high blood cholesterol reduces the risk of heart disease.

Overweight and Obesity: Obesity is strongly related to major risk factors including high blood pressure, glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia.

Plan Ahead: Prevention Methods

The most important factors to consider when attempting to prevent CVD involve eating a varied, nutrient dense diet, being regularly active, and maintaining a healthy body weight. Beginning healthy habits at an early age is key in preventing diseases from developing over time.

Basic nutrition information:

Tips on how to stay physically active:

Body composition measuring tools:

More general information can be found at the following sites:

Sources: